Next Time
by Puddlemere
Summary: Next Time, now reuploaded to include Carry On Dancing, the prequel; and Drops of Jupiter, the sequel. Please review!!
1. Next Time

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Next Time

A Songfic

Disclaimer: None of the characters belong to me, they belong to Tamora Pierce, blah blah blah. You people know the drill…. Oh, and I don't own Next Time either. It's property of BBMak.

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I lie awake and die I try but can't deny

That I can't make it without her

I can't forget the day I let her slip away

And I'm still dreaming about her

Can a heart forgive cause I just can't live without her

Why did this have to happen to us? Kel and I were so happy. We were so happy—until Roald ruined it all for us. When I caught them kissing, I didn't know what to think—so I broke up with her. She left. Breaking up with her was the biggest mistake of my life, I realize that now.

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The next time you see my girl

Won't you say that I, I will die, I would die to hold her

The next time you see my girl, won't you tell her I love her

The next time you see my girl

Maybe the next time

It literally hurts me to think of her, or any kind of love, for that matter. It seems that wherever I go, there are couples passing me, or sitting in the courtyard together. We used to do that. It's almost as if they're trying to spite me. That they know what happened between Kel and I, and they have to rub it in my face.

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I walk the streets at night see lovers passing by

And it's all a reminder

Of what it used to be when she was here with me

I only wish I could find her

Did she disappear cause I'm waiting right here for her

The next time you see my girl

Won't you say that I, I will die, I would die to hold her

The next time you see my girl, won't you tell her I love her

The next time you see my girl

Maybe the next time

Every time I try to sleep, her face materializes. I can't stop it. And sometimes I wonder if I even want to.

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I close my eyes I see her face and I realize

But in front of me I had it all but I set her free

So next time you see my girl

Oh won't you tell her that I'm sorry

Tell her that I love her

I wish I knew where she went. I want so much to tell her I'm sorry. And that I forgive her. I just hope she'll forgive me too.

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The next time you see my girl

Won't you say that I, I will die, I would die to hold her

The next time you see my girl, won't you tell her I love her

The next time you see my girl

Maybe the next time


	2. Carry On Dancing

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Carry On Dancing

A Songfic

Prequel to "Next Time"

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters, Tamora Pierce does, and Savage Garden owns the song. Yadda, yadda, yadda….

Keladry of Mindelan made her way to a dark corner of the courtyard, where the king and queen were having a royal ball out in the moonlight. She was trying to elude Neal. For some crazy reason he wanted to dance, Kel had no idea why. She found a stool and dragged it conspicuously over to her corner. Roald of Conte, the heir to the throne, noticed her making herself at home in the corner.

He didn't know why, but lately he had been noticing Keladry more and more, and not just as a fellow knight-in-training. He had the sudden impulse to go over to her, but he curbed it. She was seeing Neal now, and Roald knew that he could become incredibly jealous at times.

After Roald had been sitting there watching Kel for a while, he made up his mind. He was going to go over there and make Kel dance with him. One dance wouldn't do any harm.

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The moonlight...  
Shines down interstellar beams  
And the groove tonight  
Is something more than you've ever seen  
The stars and planets taking shape  
A stolen kiss has come too late

Kel didn't know what she thought she was doing. Why she had accepted Roald's offer to dance, she had no clue. Neither did she know why he had offered in the first place—he knew Neal's temper when he got jealous as well as she did.

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In the moonlight  
Carry on, keep romancing  
Carry on, carry on dancing  
In the moonlight  
Carry on, keep romancing  
Carry on, carry on dancing  
  
You're never safe 'till you see the dawn  
And if the clock strikes past midnight  
The hope is gone  
To move under...

But nothing mattered now. Kel was weightlessly floating, whirling, spinning, twirling. She was mesmerized by her partner's endless blue eyes boring into hers. Any thoughts of Neal flew out of her head as fast as she whirled in Roald's arms.

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The moonlight  
Carry on, keep romancing  
Carry on, carry on dancing  
In the moonlight  
Carry on, keep romancing  
Carry on, carry on dancing.

Neal turned from where he was talking with Cleon. The big redhead had his eyes focused on something behind Neal. Neal picked out what he was staring at in a second. It was Roald and Kel, dancing together. He never took his eyes off the two, even after the music ended. They were seemingly oblivious to everyone and everything around them. They walked to the edge of the courtyard and stood talking. Neal moved closer to where they stood.

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Move. Closer. Passion. Stronger.

There's a magic only two can tell  
In the dark night  
Ultraviolet is a wicked spell  
The stars and planets taking shape  
A stolen kiss has come too late

Suddenly Roald had his lips on Kel's, and they were sailing through space, flying higher than the stars. 

Neal recoiled. Just what did they think they were doing? This wasn't a free-for-all! He strode angrily over to them. They pulled apart quickly, looking ashamed. Neal had fire in his eyes, glaring at both of them. "Just what did you think you were doing," he stated coldly._  
  
In the moonlight  
Carry on, keep romancing  
Carry on, carry on dancing  
In the moonlight  
Carry on, keep romancing  
Carry on, carry on dancing  
  
Moving on... Moving all night_


	3. Drops of Jupiter

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Drops of Jupiter

A Songfic

Sequel to "Next Time"

Disclaimer: Ugh, not another one….J Anyway, as you all know, the characters belong to Tamora Pierce and the song belongs to Train.

Neal was in complete bliss. Ever since he had heard the news, he had been planning what he was going to say to her. Kel. She was coming back, after two years away. Neal still hadn't fallen in love with anyone else, and that only reassured him that he and Kel were meant to be.

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Now that she's back in the atmosphere

With drops of Jupiter in her hair

She acts like summer and walks like rain

Reminds me that there's time to change

Since the return from her stay on the moon

She listens like spring and she talks like June

Neal paced in his room. He knew Kel was coming today, he just wasn't sure when. Cleon knocked on the door. "Hey, Neal, Kel is back in her old room. You know, if you wanted to say anything to her." 

"Thanks, Cleon," Neal said distractedly. After Cleon left, Neal made his way to Kel's old room. He knocked on the door softly. 

"Come in," Kel called from behind the door. Neal slowly opened the door and stared at her. She had grown her hair long, not bothering to cut it for two years. It shone in silky splendor.

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Tell me did you sail across the sun

Did you make it to the Milky Way to see the

Lights all faded

And that heaven is overrated

Tell me did you fall for a shooting star

One without a permanent scar

And did you miss me while you were looking

At yourself out there

"Hey, Kel," Neal greeted her awkwardly. Before she could respond, he rushed on. "Listen, Kel. There's something I want you to know, before you tell me that you've gone and fallen in love with some other man. When I saw you kissing Roald that night, I didn't know what to say or do. So I did something stupid. Really stupid. And I was hoping you could find it in that beautiful heart of yours to forgive me."

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Now that she's back from that soul vacation

Tracing her way through the constellations

She checks out Mozart while she does tae-bo

Reminds me that there's time to grow

Kel stood there stunned. "Oh Neal," she said compassionately. "Are you serious? Do you think I could fall in love with someone else? I only left because I didn't want to create more tension between us than there already was. I've forgiven you long ago. Meanwhile, I've been doing lots of soul searching. And I realized that I loved you too much to come back any sooner and hurt you again."

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Now that she's back in the atmosphere

I'm afraid that she might think of me as plain ol' Jane

Told a story about a man who was too afraid to 

Fly so he never did land

"Kel," Neal breathed. "I love you." And those three words were like the most beautiful chords she had ever heard. They were enough.

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Tell me did the wind sweep you off your feet

Did you finally get the chance to dance along

The light of day

And head back to the Milky Way

And tell me did Venus blow your mind

Was it everything you wanted to find

And did you miss me while you were looking

For yourself out there

Kel rushed at Neal, and entangled herself in his arms. They stood that way for what seemed like only seconds. Then Kel looked up at those sparkling green eyes, and slowly, she pressed her lips against Neal's. The world spun around and around. To Kel and Neal, it had never seemed so exquisite.

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Can you imagine no love, pride, deep-fried chicken

Your best friend always sticking up for you

Even when I know you're wrong

Can you imagine no first dance, freeze-dried romance, five-hour phone conversation

The best soy latte that you ever had…and me

Tell me did the wind sweep you off your feet 

Did you finally get the chance to dance along

The light of day

And head back toward the Milky Way


End file.
